Number starting a countdown

Latest answer — May 25, 2026

52 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Monday, May 25, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Jokes (around)
  2. 5Not very spicy
  3. 9Super 8 or Red Roof Inn
  4. 14Paper cut?
  5. 15Big name in laptops
  6. 16Public relations concern
  7. 17Steamy segment in a movie
  8. 19Fruit that makes your lips pucker
  9. 20Tennis skirt feature
  10. 21Lack of light
  11. 23Locale for a plastic flamingo
  12. 26Yoga studio essential
  13. 27De-tension center?
  14. 30Variety of chili that can reach a Scoville score of 1+ million
  15. 36European ski destination
  16. 38Volcanic spew
  17. 39Sample collected by Ancestry.com
  18. 40Daily Planet reporter Lois
  19. 41Show the ropes
  20. 43"___ sesame!"
  21. 44Comfortable
  22. 46Anguish
  23. 47Manage, as a bar
  24. 48California national park known for its dryness
  25. 51Pigs' digs
  26. 52Number starting a countdown
  27. 53Sitting on
  28. 55Bring dishonor upon
  29. 60"I'm sleepy" signals
  30. 64Ancient Mexican empire
  31. 651980s hit with the lyric "Me mind on fire, me soul on fire" ... or how one might describe 17-, 30- and 48-Across?
  32. 68Back of a car or front of an elephant
  33. 69Orchestral woodwind
  34. 70Place of buzziness?
  35. 71Most watches have three of these
  36. 72Japanese electronics giant
  37. 73An estimated 25% of modern phone calls

Down

  1. 1Seaweed in an underwater forest
  2. 2Revered figure
  3. 3Go off the deep end?
  4. 4Incredible bargain
  5. 5Kraft ___ & Cheese
  6. 6Lead-in to maker or breaker
  7. 7Give, but expect back
  8. 8Experienced during sleep
  9. 9Frothy drink often served with boba
  10. 10A ladybug landing on you is considered a good one
  11. 11Opposite of wild
  12. 12Alter ___ (other selves)
  13. 13Camera shop purchase
  14. 18Adult male deer
  15. 22A hardened criminal might have a long one
  16. 24"Yeah, yeah"
  17. 25Missing part of the Great Sphinx of Giza
  18. 27Leafy lunch order
  19. 28Piece of armadillo armor
  20. 29Common sleep disorder
  21. 31Item worn over the shoulders
  22. 32"The ___ thickens ..."
  23. 33Vocal cords, informally
  24. 34Happening
  25. 35Singer Newman with the hit "You've Got a Friend in Me"
  26. 37Chair or pew
  27. 42Coke or Pepsi
  28. 45Gimmicky routines
  29. 49Dried poblanos used in mole sauce
  30. 50Toy on a string
  31. 54Trails
  32. 55Relaxing soak
  33. 56Book just after Ezekiel, alphabetically
  34. 57Flabbergast
  35. 58Patch up
  36. 59Drifter in search of work
  37. 61What to do with egg whites when making meringue
  38. 62Luminous stellar explosion
  39. 63Women in ___ (educational advocacy group)
  40. 66Colossal quantity
  41. 67"Yoo-hoo!"

The answer to “Number starting a countdown” in the New York Times crossword is TEN — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on May 25, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 52-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Number starting a countdown” answer

TEN (3 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is TEN.

Why the answer is TEN

TEN is the 3-letter solution that fits "Number starting a countdown" in the NYT Crossword crossword on May 25, 2026 (52-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does TEN mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of TEN is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(numeral)

  • equivalent to the product of five and two; one more than nine; 10

When else has “Number starting a countdown” appeared?

New York Times reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

May 25, 2026 (most recent) → TEN. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Number starting a countdown”?

The answer is TEN, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on May 25, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Number starting a countdown”?

3 letters: TEN.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on May 25, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 52-Across.

Can “Number starting a countdown” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for May 25, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

New York Times Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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